Catherine McKinnell, the school standards minister, has declined to rule out narrowing or replacing Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) as part of changes to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. A report from the National Audit Office last year said the system was financially unsustainable, with the number of EHCPs up 140 per cent since 2015, and many councils running deficits of more than £100 million. Families have relied on EHCPs for more than a decade to guarantee their children's right to extra support in schools, and campaigners have warned that a move away from the system could force thousands more pupils out of mainstream education. By Aletha Adu, The Guardian.

Andrew Murfin, a deputy headteacher, writes to The Sunday Times warning that the 13,000 drop in the number of independent school pupils is "an educational earthquake, with aftershocks being felt in both the state and independent sectors". He continues: "Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, accused schools of “crying wolf” over the impact of paying VAT last month. Well it turns out that the wolf was real — and it’s now at the door of both sectors." The letter can be found a quarter of the way down the page.

Schools are increasingly turning their attention to women's cricket, The Telegraph reports, with a growing number of female players originating from the independent sector. As of October 2024, 29 per cent of players in the women's professional game came from an independent school background, but the figure increased to 42 per cent at county age group level. The article explores how some independent schools offer their own academies, enabling students to select cricket as part of their curriculum. By Sonia Twigg.

The Sunday Times explores some of the steps being taken to tackle the decline in school rugby, with participation in the sport estimated to have dropped by 20 per cent over the past decade. The removal of the mandatory requirement to play rugby in schools, concern among parents about injuries and concussions, and financial pressures exacerbated by the VAT on fees policy are all cited as reasons for the decline. By Tom Kershaw. 

Both articles quote members of staff at schools in membership of the ISC's constituent associations.

The Department for Education (DfE) has pledged £3.4 million to continue its early intervention for speech and language initiative. The funding, which will last until March 2026, will help the Early Language Support for Every Child programme reach up to 20,000 more children, according to the DfE. By Jasmine Norden, Tes.

A rise in persistent pupil absences and vaccine fatigue post-Covid have contributed to a 17 percentage point drop in the number of children receiving the human papillomavirus (HPV) jab, The Sunday Times reports. For girls aged 12 to 13, vaccination rates have decreased from 90 per cent before the pandemic to 73 per cent last year. For boys, it declined from 82 per cent to 68 per cent. By Shaun Lintern. 

US District Judge Allison Burroughs has issued a temporary restraining order against the Department of Homeland Security's decision to ban Harvard University from enrolling foreign students. Last Friday, the Ivy League school filed a complaint in a federal court in Boston saying the government's action violated the First Amendment and would have "an immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders". Sky News. 

Speaking to The Guardian, British and international students at Harvard share their "growing anxiety" over the impact the policy could have on their studies and careers. By Richard Adams. 

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) monitors the national and educational press in order to keep independent schools up-to-date with relevant education news. The DNS is a service primarily for schools in membership of ISC associations, although other interested parties can choose to sign-up. We endeavour to include relevant news and commentary and, wherever possible, notable public letters. Where capacity allows, we may include links to ISC blogs, press statements and information about school or association events. News stories are selected based on their relevance to the independent sector as a whole. Editorial control of the DNS remains solely with the ISC.

Sign-up to the email service is available on our website.

Members can contact the ISC if they know in advance of news, letters or opinions that are likely to feature in the media, or are aware of existing coverage which they would like to see featured in the DNS.

Headlines and first-line summaries are written by the ISC with the link directing to the source material. You should read and comply with the terms and conditions of the websites to which we link.